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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · suit · hide · pound · board · tear

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — to get on
  3. rest — a break
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tear — to rip
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tear — from crying
  18. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com